In a series of works, an interquel is a narrative that portrays events that are chronologically set in the time frame between two previously published works that sparked its creation, being the sequel to former work and the prequel to the latter work, which was previously the sequel to the former. The former is usually published before the latter, but the reverse is true in some cases. The word interquel was coined after the word prequel, pre- meaning before and inter- meaning between. Interquels are often used to supplement an existing universe without creating problems in continuity, as is the case in which a novel is set in a universe whose canon is primarily defined by a television series or movie.

Side stories are often considered, or may be, interquels or midquels.

Examples of interquels

• The book Shadows of the Empire is the interquel of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and is set six months both after the former and before the latter, thus halfway between.

• Orson Scott Card's Shadow series books are an interquel of Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead.

• The Game Boy Advance video game Grunty's Revenge is the interquel of the Nintendo 64 games, Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. It is chronologically set two months after the former and one and a half years before the latter.

• Of Technos Japan's Nekketsu Kouha: Kunio-Kun series, Shin Nekketsu Kouha: Kunio tachi no Banka is the interquel of Nekketsu Kouha: Kunio-Kun (the game that Renegade is based on) and Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (known in North America as River City Ransom).

• The Metroid Prime series is the interquel of the first two installments of the Metroid franchise.

• BioWare started a challenge for a fan-created interquel of Neverwinter Nights occurring between expansion I, Shadows of Undrentide and expansion II Hordes of the Underdark. There had been two finalists.

• Of the Ys series, Ys IV: Mask of the Sun is the interquel of Ys II: The Final Chapter and Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. It is chronologically set two years after the former and one year before the latter.

• Mega Man Network Transmission is an interquel of Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Battle Network 2.

• Chain of Memories is marketed as bridging the gap between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, according to Square Enix's words; however, it was released before the latter.

• The Playstation 2 game The Game takes place between season 2 and season 3 of the Fox television series 24, and bridges the 3 year plot gap between seasons. On the TV show's DVD box sets of seasons 3 & 4, there are also short interquel episodes which typically serve more as prequels to the upcoming next season.

• The comic series "52" takes place between the miniseries "Infinite Crisis" and the current DC Comics being published.

• Even in non-fiction and/or ancient literature, there are examples. The apocryphal books of the Maccabees can be considered interquels of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, comprising the "inter-testimental" period.

List of interquels

Gaming

• Street Fighter Alpha (1995)
• Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996)
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1999)

Cross media

• An Ewok Adventure (1984)
• The Battle for Endor (1985)

See also

• prequel — before an existing story
• sequel — after an existing story
• midquel — in the meantime of an existing story

Portmanteaus | Narrative forms